Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Friends, Bees, Cubbies, & Food

This last week has been such a busy one. So, this is one of those smorgasboard posts. Last week, we had a chance to go and visit Lora and her family in their new ALABAMA home. Welcome back to the South, ya'll! It was a hoot. While not everyone was feeling one hundred percent, it was comical to watch the five big kids play. The little girls did a lot of sleeping and eating and not so much interaction. Their day is coming. It was a 'peaceful' visit, given that there were seven kids under the age of three to navigate. I am just thrilled to have my friend so close to home again. I have determined in my head that our kids will like each other. It's not so much that they don't, it's just that when they all get together, Thomas and Sarah Grace play together, and Sam, Ian, and Adam play together. Oh, they occasionally cross each other's paths and laugh, but mostly, they stick to their little family clans. Granted, they have all visited together a whopping four or five times in their little lives, so maybe now that the Fannings are closer, this will work itself out. And if not, well, Lora and I will be forced to continue enjoying our sweet friendship while we lock our children outside.

On the way home, Thomas and I chatted back and forth about different things, but mostly practiced his Awana verses for the weekend. He missed the first couple of meetings, so he was behind the rest of his class. They had all already earned their vests, bags, and books. Thomas was working hard to memorize his verses so that he could earn his vest. All our hard work paid off. Sunday evening when I saw Thomas, he was sporting his new Cubbies vest. I can't tell you who was prouder...Thomas or Joshua and me! He strutted about and happily posed for pictures.

Monday morning Thomas disappeared into his room for a few minutes, and when he came out he was very proudly wearing his vest and his underwear. Nothing else. He ran over to me and started hollering his verses, drill sergeant style. 'GOD LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON!' He got a kick out of my laughing reaction and continued to strut his stuff. For the sake of not embarrassing him, I will post only the G-rated picture.

Although I don't think I ever got around to posting about it, the kids birthday party last month was a success. Lots of food, friends, and hilarious kids. Oh, and gifts. Next year, I think we are going to have a gift exchange rather than a gift pile on. Anyway, the kids did receive some really cool gifts. The Honeybee Hop would be among their favorites. When the box was first opened, the arm of the game was in two pieces, so a sword fight commenced. Then the bee made a toy just to play with. Finally, I had all the parts and the batteries in one place so I could assemble the thing. What followed was almost two hours of entertainment for the kids. It took a whole month for us to get it all together and working, but it was so worth it. They are thrilled with this game, though I must admit they are not great jumpers and they rather like when the bee hits their ankles and makes the wah-wah-wah sound of sad stillness. I highly recommend it for pre-schoolers!

Then there is little Elizabeth. She is trying her hardest to sit up! We get her on her little bum, spread her legs for balance and then she punks right over on her face. Until this weekend. She learned to put her arms in front of her and use them to help her maintain balance. She seemed quite proud of this accomplishment. I know I was proud of her! She just smiled and gazed adoringly at her brother and sister as they went about their usual busy-ness. After several minutes, her arms gave out and she plunked forward. She was tired and worn out, so her fall caused many tears. I grabbed her up and popped a bottle in her mouth and she assumed her feeding posture, which I think is adorable. I love the way she covers her eyes and shuts out the entire world as she s-l-o-w-l-y enjoys her meal. Precious moments, these are!

And there you have it. Life at our house might not be adrenaline pumping excitement, but every day holds sweet things, new accomplishments, and wonderful laughter. Who could ask for more?